Those of you who follow Ramblings from a Writers Mind will know at this time of year I write about trends and marketing projections for the forthcoming year.

On December the 15th 2017, I published ‘Insights & Publishing Trends for 2018’ , in which I mentioned Data Breaches, GDRP, Narrative Advertising, the rise of Hybrid publishing, Books Shelf Life, the growth of Audiobooks and more. The post is still available to read HERE

I think you will find I was scarily accurate.

This post, my Insights and Projections for 2019, I hope will prove to be just as precise.

The following opinion is more than me simply licking my finger and holding it aloft to see which way the wind is blowing. It is from information accrued from a number of respected sources including;

My 2019 report

It is important for Indie Authors and publishers to be aware of the industries shifting patterns, particularly as the market is more competitive than ever before.

While it is continuing to get easier to publish books, the general trend is for people to spend less time reading books.

In the USA the decline has plummeted by almost one-third since 2004.

Measure this against the rise of digital publishing and print-on-demand, the two main elements driving indie growth by making it accessible to almost everyone, and you can see there is a shrinking market which is flooding ‘over the brim’.

Way back in 2014 Amazon published figures showing a new book was published every five minutes. Some now estimated this figure to be one new book every thirty-seconds.

One thing which surprises many aspiring authors is when they learn eBooks are still lagging far behind the popularity of print books.

A survey earlier this year, (2018), showed 67% of people said they read at least one print book in the preceding 12 months in comparison to only 26% having read an eBook during the same time period. A decline of 2% from the 2016 survey.

This may be due to several factors, these are some of the most voiced:

You don’t need power to read a print book.

They [print books] are not as fragile, so best when travelling to remote and rugged regions.

Print books fit into pockets and pouches easily, (referring to jamming them in and rolling them.)

You cannot prop up a wobbly table with an electronic device. (also… cannot use to swat spiders/flies etc.)

Digital audio is, as I predicted, a major area of growth during 2018 and will continue to grow rapidly during this [2019] year.

In fact, 25% of all Harper Collins digital revenue in the first quarter of 2018 was created from digital audio. This figure increased to 43% for Simon & Schuster, while Audible UK’s revenue grew by 45% from the previous year [2017].

Areas of audiobook growth to consider are the sight impaired, where reading print or digital display is difficult, impracticable or impossible.

The second sector to consider is group listening. This is clearly applicable for educational establishments, but the marketplace also caters for businesses, training/coaching/group bonding/team building etc.

I think it wise to contemplate specialist books written for relaxation therapy, traumatic recovery, inspirational and positive reinforcement.

With these and other, as yet, unexplored market areas it may be worth looking closely at the current expanding audiobook market and to research the potential of new and unexplored market segments.

We can expect to see the continued growth of Hybrid Publishing.

The attraction of Hybrid, especially to new and inexperienced indie authors, is the benefits of having the ‘middle-ground.’

While authors (mostly) maintain creative control and revenue creation, the enlisted aid from experts (usually) ensure quality and help with market reach.

Some of the traditional publishing houses are now creating collaborative arms of their businesses to harness the rise of Hybrid publishing.

I think this route may be worth considering when entering the audiobook market as it can be an investment and time-consuming task with many pitfalls.

Covers.

Be prepared for a major publishing‘Cover war’during 2019.

The new designers and predicted trends for this year will make cover designs a prime factor in all book marketing, in both on and off-line sales.

Pantone has already revealed their colour trend forecast for 2019 so, this year, use bold colours if you want your work or business to stand out. Yellows, orange, pink, and bright blues, in combinations and in contrast all form part of this year’s mix.

Big book design. By big book, I mean copying and using the design keys which are traditionally reserved for famous authors with massive track records.

Crossing out. One element often seen on established authors books has found its way to the smaller author. Often combining handwriting over a font.

This fresh take adds a vibe of revision and restlessness, introducing the idea that the author thought about the title, crossed out words and made changes.

Gradients have seen a huge comeback in late 2017-2018 and are here to stay during 2019. With Apple and Instagram using them in their branding, this is a winning choice in 2019 for book covers too.

Bold fonts, with typography, are getting more and more into the spotlight. In some cases, typography is replacing prime images. Typography is now bigger and bolder, making it a trend for this year’s predictions. The winning combination, when you are using a big font is minimalism, otherwise, the design can be overcrowded and not really appealing.

Notes:

1, League Gothic and close derivative fonts, once usually reserved for Crime and Thriller novels will be touted for other genres.

2, Lydian font has re-emerged in late 2018, leggy, light and gender neutral, I see it continuing its resurgence in literary fiction and then spreading to nonfiction.

Florals. Floral backgrounds will be trending and not only for romance but mixed with masculine elements, such as bold fonts. Illustrations of flowers and plants are ‘on trend’ for 2019.

What makes this floral trend different is the flowers tend to heavily interact and even obscure the text elements on some of this year’s biggest covers. Something else which makes this trend unique: these botanicals are eschewing tradition and finding their way onto covers of books written by both women and men.

Overlapping Elements, previously it was taboo to have images overlapping the text on a books cover. No more. The new designers are ignoring this rule, with some wonderful outcomes.

Implemented cleverly, this can give a 3d-(ish) effect to a flat 2d image.

Hyperrealism. This generally favours non-fiction. These are cover designs which integrate the information about the book into a familiar product or household item.

Whether made from newspaper clippings, food wrappers or even projector slides, these hyper-real covers create effortless nostalgia and a feeling a wistfulness by taking something expected from our life and introducing it into an entirely new setting.

Expect more make-you-look-twice designs like these coming in the next year.

Modern illustration. Illustrated book covers have been having a well-recognized moment, the likes of which we have not seen since the mid-century era. This resurgence reflects the like of those old ‘trippy’ Penguin Classics.

Book cover design trends in 2019 look like they will be defined by contradiction.

Some designers will continue to push boundaries and move to edgier places, while others choose to embrace the typefaces and illustration styles of earlier eras.

Both directions mean readers’ shelves will be filled with gorgeous and fresh jackets.

If you are looking for a special, outstanding designed book cover then contact the award-winning artist designer, PeeJay.

PeeJay designs only take on a few new clients in any given year but you may lucky enough to become one of them. PeeJaydesigns@mail.com

Marketing.

Passive Aggressive Marketing is the key for a successful 2019.

‘Passive’ as in subtle engagement with your audience and building trusted relationships.

‘Aggressive’ applies to the consistency, continuity and visibility of your promotions. If you are not constantly seen your competitors will be.

One of the prime areas of being indie is the ability to successfully marketing your book(s).

This does not mean simply putting in a big effort on the publication/release of your book, but a continuous, ongoing, planned marketing strategy which is well implemented and executed.

The key word is ‘Ongoing’.

Amazon, for instance, has a vast online activity where your book is swallowed-up and made to disappear instantaneously. Even ‘successful’ books and those considered ‘still-relevant’ can get buried quickly if the marketing effort is not constant.

The torrent of new titles and advertising from new authors and mainstream publishing houses will swallow-up any effort that is not effective and constant.

Without this continued attention, your book may become irrelevant quickly, losing visibility under an avalanche of newer releases in its category. Think of it as having your book available in a giant bookstore, crowded with millions of new releases. (Which it is.)

My suggestion for 2019 is authors will benefit from long-term marketing strategies. Margins may be lower and slower as a result, but the longer-term benefits will make-up for any short-term shortfall.

Creating an ongoing marketing campaign is like paying to keep your book on a display in the front of the store, with ads visible right when customers walk in, instead of letting it move to a shelf in the back. It will have a noticeable effect on sales.

Staying a step ahead of these book publishing trends can make the difference between turning out a bestseller or just another drop in an ocean of self-published work that falls short of its full potential.

This is a transitional time for the publishing industry and these changes will only accelerate through 2019.

Content marketing has been steadily growing for several years now.

More and more businesses realise the long-term ROI (return of investment) of brand-owned content. 2018 was a big year for content; recent studies have shown content marketing revenue is projected to exceed $300 billion by 2019. 86% of B2C marketers think content marketing is a key marketing strategy. Content marketing generates over 4x more leads than PPC per $1000 within 36 months.

Most businesses seem to publish content only because they have heard, “Content is king” or because they saw competitors trying to put out some content too.

Publishing content for the sake of publishing content is useless.

An effective content strategy involves a lot of analysing, organizing and planning. It may be tough, but it is the only way to go if you want to see your content drive traffic and conversions.

Gone are the days where content means the blog posts your company writes. Instead, content marketing now includes a diverse set of content types and multiple channels to push them through.

Chances are that if you’re already using social media, you are doing content marketing to some extent. The next step is to get a strategy in place.

Content marketing is taking any type of content (digital or physical) and purposefully sending it out to your audience. Adding a strategy to this means you have thought about your goals, audiences and distribution channels.

There are quite a few types of content out there now, with new channels being developed every year. Part of being a good content marketer is being able to learn new types and be open to experimentation. Relatively new to the scene is user-generated social media content which can be used as part of your strategy.

This is a non-exhaustive list to help you think about what type of content you may want to consider.

Unfortunately, in a world where everyone is connected, one poorly timed, or poorly worded message could destroy your brand reputation.

Taking the above information into consideration, it shows there are two main factors to contemplate in creating a successful marketing strategy for 2019 and beyond.

From this moment onwards, promotional tactics must focus on brand building and audience engagement.

Do not just take my word.

This is what some market-leading professionals have to say;

“In 2019 it seems that the brands who excel in cultivating community and brand loyalty will be the most successful. This means brands need to find their niche audience (instead of trying to be everything to everyone) and support them – through authentic content, top-notch customer service, and surprise-and-delight experiences.”Emily Hughes, Loup Digital

“2019 will be about using video. Facebook is going to continue to decline in reach so SEO will continue to be a top priority.”Melissa Chowning, Founder of Twenty-First Digital

“Going forward, I feel that small online publishers won’t have a future if they try to be all things to all people. So, we are always looking at what we do best and doubling down on that. The Pareto Principle at play, as ever. Our strength is the trust we have built with our users, the quality of our editorial, and the relationships we have with our writers and key players in the media.”Mark Hodson, Co-founder, and editor of 101 Holidays

“In 2019, we will continue to focus on developing great content for our audience and look for new ways to expand our reach. As always, we’ll experiment with new technologies but will always keep the end user experience as a top priority.”Dianna Dilworth, Editor in Chief at Marketers Quarterly

“My primary focus in 2019 will be building new and building on current relationships. The best way to learn about market trends, challenges, and opportunities are to spend time with the people dealing with them first hand. It’s essential to gain an understanding of what’s important to the people who comprise the different areas of your industry to best serve that industry. The reality is, business isn’t “just business”; it’s personal — and, personally, I enjoy getting to know the people who make the marketing industry come alive.“Ginger Conlon, U.S. Editor in Chief at The Drum

The common threads here are; brand building by engagement of the audience, creating and cultivating community, delivering high-quality content and service, creating partnership and relationships with other organisations and using new technologies.

Last year, after my 2017 report and, as part of my belief in my own predictions, I created a marketing opportunity for indie authors I called Electric Eclectic.

During 2018 Electric Eclectic built the foundations and established a working formula for a long-term marketing strategy, much based on the industry pattern shifts detected through 2018 and projections for 2019.

Electric Eclectic takes into consideration the need for constant ongoing promotion, for narrative engagement with potential readers (our audience), delivering great service and products while creating mutually beneficial partnerships and relations with individuals and organisations.

In 2019, Electric Eclectic will be considering requests for a small, select number of authors to join our marketing programme.

There are two books ALL indie authors, regardless of experience, should have in their reference library.

Neither is a ‘How to’ book or ‘Step by step guide’.

Instead, they are full of relevant and enlightening information you can utilise to your own advantage.

‘The Frugal Author’

https://amzn.to/2GH9HC7, as the cover suggests, this is all about creating and publishing your book at the lowest possible costs while keeping the quality high.

‘Lots of Author Stuff you Need to Know’

https://amzn.to/2GGwL3Lis full of lots of stuff you really do need to know as an Indie author. This book includes pertinent material such as book parts, when and how to use them, industry word count for various genres, copyright, formatting, stuff about literary agents and much, much more.

I strongly suggest you arm yourself with both of these eBooks, which you can download NOW, using the links above.

Other marketing tools you need to be making more use of in 2019 are:

Twitter cards.

With more than 330 million monthly active users Twitter should not be overlooked this year.

Latest figures reveal around 51% of Twitter users earn more than $50,000 dollars per year. That is a vast amount of purchasing power. Advertise directly, but utilise Twitters reach to drive traffic to your blog, website and product pages while engaging with your followers.

Twitter cards have more visibility than a regular tweet, allow for immersive interactions while making your tweets attractive encouraging conversation from your audience.

The result of image-based tweets greater exposure with figures suggesting up to 55% increase in leads and a 41% jump of re-tweets.

Check out the four types of Twitter cards available and use/mix & match each style as needed.

Longer Tweets.

We all know Twitter changed its word limit from 140 characters to 280 and allowed images in addition to character count. But did you know you can create follow-on tweets from the drop down?

Want even more? Then try Longertweets.com and read their blog at automaticallytweet.com

You can also use WordPress plugins Tweetly, Tweet Old Post, Tweetable and WP to Twitter to boost and organise your Twitter presence.

Time and organisation.

Scheduling tools may make the difference between success and failure of your book sales this year if you do not have time to be constantly posting and promoting manually.

Having the right scheduling tools on deck can help you save time and push out more content to your audience. The more of your social strategy you put on autopilot, the more time you have to connect with your followers in real time.

The trick is to pick the right social media scheduling tools for you.

Take time to browse them and select the one(s) which offer you solutions to your own situation.

My prediction is for Instagram to be a key element in narrative engagement marketing this year.

The greater your Instagram reach, the more eyes you can get on your brand’s visual content.

With over a billion monthly active users and a constant flood of content, now’s the time to rethink how you can extend the lifespan of any piece of Instagram content and, of course, your reach.

Cross-posting content, that is placing the same/identical content on several social media platforms within the same timeframe. Starbucks marketing is a prime example of how to do this well.

Although you should not cross-post everything. The bulk of your Instagram content should be exclusive to Instagram.

BUT… Pinterest posts should be cross-pollinating because the Pinterest platform is designed to be ‘Evergreen’ in terms of network search. Therefore, it is a prime place to house your Instagram posts.

If you do not already know, Pinterest allows you to ‘Claim’ your Instagram account and your YouTube account. Check it out.

Pinterest also provides your brand content attribution, meaning that you can drive more Pinterest traffic directly to Instagram.

I have not yet delved into the recently launched IGTV… Instagram Television… but I shall and will report back on this blog during the forthcoming year.

IGTV is still in its early stages but considers that any followers you gain on IGTV translate to your regular account. Furthermore, the platform allows for heavy tagging and links to drive more attention to your Instagram content and promotions alike.

But that does not mean you should dismiss it out of hand. Go take a shuftie and see what potential you think IGTV holds for you.

Facebook.

The question here is Facebook throwing the baby out with the bath water?

I don’t think so… at least not yet.

Kicking off 2018 with a reach-rocking algorithm shift, the social giant is now throwing some business owners for a loop with some recent changes to their Pages platform.

The new Facebook Page publishing authorization is something that brands of all shapes and sizes should be aware of.

These rule changes are part of Facebooks reaction to threatened Government governance of the net and the many major security and data breaches in the last few years. One of the reasons Google is closing their social media platform, Google Plus, in January 2019.

“Our goal is to prevent organizations and individuals from creating accounts that mislead people about who they are or what they’re doing. These updates are part of our continued efforts to increase authenticity and transparency of Pages on our platform.”

In short, Facebook is looking to fight disinformation and guarantee to users that Page owners are who they say they are. The Facebook Page publishing authorization provides a straightforward line of defence to achieve both of these goals.

If affected, you will see an alert banner like the one above in your News Feed. You will be asked to confirm your identity and likewise consistently reminded to do so until you go through the process.

Even if you take issue with Facebook questioning your identity, it’s best to simply go along with it if you want to stay in the good graces of the platform. Facebook seems to understand the inconvenience and has made the verification process quite simple as a result.

Remember, so much of social media is about rolling with the punches. Platforms change, rules change. It happens. These are private companies with commercial interests, they are not free public services and no one has an undeniable right to use any of them.

Expect Facebook to roll out many more security influenced changes during 2019.

That’s about it for one post, so I’ll close for now, leaving you with the following message.

As someone who enjoys reading a ‘good book’, you will not go far astray picking one or more of these ‘must reads for 2019’as selected by from CQI Magazine.

Liken such a surprise to that of being punched in the mouth and you are beginning to understand the word.

To break it down, ‘Smacked’ as in hit, slapped, punched, struck etc. and ‘Gob’ a slang word for mouth.

Hence, I would say it means; So surprised you are dumbfounded, unable to speak, as you would be after being ‘smacked in the gob’.

Now, on with this post.

I do not feel Gobsmacked about the general lethargy and apathy I see and sense within the indie author community of late. I have noticed it, slowly but inexorably, growing over the past year or so.

Don’t get me wrong, this dispirited indifference is not an affliction which infects every single author, but a general condition proliferating throughout our worldwide community.

It could be a reaction to the changes at Facebook, the closure of CreateSpace, Amazons ever-changing algorithms or the news G+ is soon to close to the general public.

It could be a response, a consequence of them all. A mass writers communal PTSD from the constant shock and awe of all changes on social media… doubtful, but who knows?

(Much of what has passed this year, 2018, I predicted and wrote about on this blog. Not surprisingly about a year ago.) Check it out HERE.

So, you may ask, what is it that causes me to feel Gobsmacked?

Allow me to elucidate.

Point one.

I frequently, make that continually, read posts on social media where writers ask how to market their books.

I read questions that ask what is the ‘best way’ to do this or that. I see authors enquiring “who has had success with (such & such) and how did they do it?” or “what is the best book marketing platform?” and “is it worth paying Joe Bloggs ltd to market my book, they only want £10,000 a week“… okay, maybe that figure is a little exaggerated, but you get my gist.

Far too many times have I read how authors have been ‘ripped off’ or ‘scammed’ by the unscrupulous preying on writers.

I have no doubts I shall read similar accounts tomorrow of people feeling ‘robbed’ as I did yesterday and today.

Point two.

Why then, when a genuine marketing method is offered do so many authors fail to grasp the opportunity?

I am speaking of a marketing organisation run by well respected, established and recognised indie authors.

No strange claims.

No get rich quick schemes.

No large sums of money required.

Just a solid method of creating awareness and establishing trust with readers.

What’s more, I am speaking of a marketing method which pays full royalties to those participating. In effect, it is a marketing which pays authors to sell their own books.

Yet this is one writers ‘cannot be bothered’ looking at or cringe about paying the small, token (once only) membership fee.

Instead, those very same authors, the ones who did not want to spend a few pounds or dollars, then post on Facebook about how they have lost a fortune on scammers and vanity promotions.

This then has the effect of pulling down the mood of the whole indie community. Something which is currently tangible. All you have to do is follow a few of the author group conversations on social and you will soon see for yourself.

That is why I get ‘Gobsmacked’.

I am the founder of Electric Eclectic, a book brand marketing programme and author co-operative.

Electric Eclectic is not a get rich quick scheme. It does not offer magical solutions for generating massive sales.

PREFACE

This year 2017 has seen some seismic shifts in the publishing and advertising industries as major issues such as transparency (Note Facebook revealing their loss of Data a short while ago. This note added April 2018) and brand safety have taken centre stage. Next year is shaping up to be no different, as the industry looks ahead to key issues which will dominate the news agenda over the next 12 months and beyond.

“GDPR will hit in May 2018 and with just seven months left to be ready, many within the industry are only just learning about the implications. People are spending more time online across a wider array of devices and are becoming smarter at consuming online content. Consumers are hungry for real content and will be looking for ways to cut out fake news and time-wasting content by seeking out better quality content providers and starting to pay to access the best content.

2018 will continue to deliver opportunity; we all need to think about building interactive audio relationships via Amazon Echo, Google Home and other voice controlled devices, and how virtual reality devices like Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR and augmented reality via the latest generation of iPhones will affect the way we communicate brand messaging to our audiences in new and innovative ways.”

NATIVE ADVERTISING

“Native advertising has rapidly gained momentum this year and will continue to do so in 2018. With native ad spend expected to reach more than €13 billion across Europe by 2020, it is safe to say it is no longer just a buzzword, but an essential part of the marketing mix that is finally getting the recognition it deserves from the industry.

“As publishers look to focus on brand safety, transparency, and the user experience, I expect we will see more of a migration to native as developments in creative technology bring more flexibility. By harnessing the capabilities of programmatic, the scale and efficiency of this flourishing format will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Electric Eclectic books incorporate aspects of Native Advertising in their marketing strategy assisting indie authors book sales. The amazing thing regarding Native Advertising is most people will not recognise or notice it occurring because it is an almost subliminal method of carrying your brand message.

THE CONTINUED RISE OF INDIE AND HYBRID PUBLISHING

Traditional publishers may offer prestige, but also limited creative control and royalties. In recent years, independent publishers have accounted for an ever-larger share of the market, with the help of high-quality cover designs, writing, and marketing plans.

Last year, data showed for the first time the share of self-published books and books published by small publishers, at 42 per cent, was larger than the market share of big-publishers, at 34 per cent.

Ascendant is the phenomenon of hybrid publishing, which includes a variety of publishing models which straddle a middle ground between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Veterans of traditional publishing have left behind their larger companies to bring top skills and experience to the world of independent publishing.

More and more authors are opting for hybrid publishing, which allows them to hold on to creative control and royalties while benefiting from the best of the traditional publishing world.

LONGER SHELF LIFE WITH EBOOKS WILL MEAN INCREASED COMPETITION

With the rise of digital book listings, we are seeing a change in the lifecycle of books. When keeping books available depended on a limited quantity of physical shelf space, it meant books that no longer sold well were removed from shelves as soon as possible.

With digital retailers, there is no such premium on shelf space. With books remaining discoverable indefinitely, authors and publishers may want to take a fresh look at “legacy titles” – books published in the past that are no longer a focus for your attention.

Consider reinvesting in a new cover, book description, and marketing resources to revitalise these titles.

Remember, in this age of digital ebooks and kindle, the more books you have available, the better chance you have to grab your share of the crowded eBook market.

This is one reason you should have a minimum of three marketing branded books working for you and all your prime titles. Electric Eclectic (part of CQ International) is the fastest growing and most inventive brand. Take a peek at their Website.

MORE BOOKS, STAGNATING READERSHIP

According to Pew Research Center, about 73 per cent of Americans read at least a book a year.

This is a figure which has remained stagnant since 2012. Meanwhile, the number of books published in the US has grown exponentially since 2010. Self-published titles have grown from 133,036 in 2010 to 727,125 in 2015, an increase of 446.5 per cent. (latest full figures available.)

Authors need to work towards “discoverability”, working to develop their own audience as an author and creating strong brand marketing for their books.

Many self-publishing authors also face criticism for poor editing and packaging – with more books on the market, the pressure to create and maintain high-quality presentation is becoming paramount. Pay special attention to your design choices; editing and marketing can help self-published books rise above the rest. But a great cover is your first opportunity to attract readers to your book. A professional cover will help you gain sales. Check out PeeJay Designs by Paul White. They offer a professional, but friendly and communicative service HERE

AUDIOBOOKS ARE GROWING

Audiobooks are the fastest growing sector of the publishing world.

In 2015, the audiobook industry was valued at 2.8 billion dollars. 43,000 books were released that year alone, compared to 36,000 in 2014 and just 20,000 in 2013. (Latest full figures available.)

Since audiobooks do not follow the same agency model as eBooks, publishers have been more willing to experiment with distribution models for audiobooks. In particular, subscription models, such as that of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited platform, are on the rise. In a similar approach to Netflix or Spotify, the service offers unlimited access to 2,500 audiobooks.

While the cost of creating an Audiobooks is higher than most forms of book creation, including many hardcover formats, it is one of the publishing trends to seriously consider.

As with all relatively new markets, audiobooks platforms, production and distribution methods are only in their infancy, so invention and initiative are prime.

PUBLISHING TRENDS 2018 – SUMMARY

The publishing trends of 2018 are likely to follow the broader patterns seen throughout the decade; the rise of small publishers, digital platforms and new formats.

In other ways, the publishing world will continue to see a backlash to traditional, restrictive and controlled marketplaces during in 2018.

Keeping an eye on such trends can help publishers and authors get a sense of where things are headed in the years to come. The future will be about development, choice and ‘canny’ marketing.

AGE GAP

The data reveal what some might consider a surprising generational pattern in book reading.

Young adults, those aged eighteen to twenty-nine, are more likely than their elders to have read a book in the past twelve months.

In 2014, there were more hugely successful movies based on young adult books than ever before. Divergent, The Maze Runner, The Fault in Our Stars, If I Stay, and The Book Thief all appealed to a younger audience and may be causing this surge of interest.

We’ll have to wait to see if this is a passing phase or a longer-term trend.

The survey also noted women are more likely to be the book readers in a household. The average woman reader read fourteen books in the past year, compared with nine books for men.

BOOKSMART PHONE

In 2014, Pew reported that 50 per cent of Americans have a dedicated handheld device, either a tablet computer like an iPad or Kindle Fire, or an e-reader such as a Kindle or Nook, for reading digital content. This is up from 43 per cent in September 2013.

While tablets are still the most popular electronic way to read digital books… at present, last month The Wall Street Journalpredicted they may be pushed aside by smartphones in the coming years.

In the first three months of 2015, 41 per cent of ebook buyers read digital books primarily on their tablets, according to the newspaper (citing Nielsen data), and 32 per cent read ebooks primarily on their e-readers. However, the publication also reported on a Nielsen survey from this past December that found 54 per cent of ebook buyers read on their smartphones at least some of the time. In 2012, that number was just 24 per cent.

Fortune cites reasons for the adoption of reading via smartphone:

“Convenience, of course, as well as ramped-up technology that makes reading on mobile phones a more pleasant experience. Smartphone screen sizes, too, are getting larger.”

Okay, that will do for today.

There is a mass of indicators which will need your careful consideration when deciding which tactics to adopt in your overall marketing strategy.

Before I talk about Electric Eclectic in detail, lets set the layout of the indie publishing ground.

It is something like this….

I constantly hear writers say they are looking for new ways, or better ways, or alternative ways to market their books.

I also hear many authors saying they would like to find an effective way to promote their books without spending a fortune.

Not forgetting those who lament they never knew about a new initiative, or would have loved to be in at the beginning of… whatever it may be.

In this post, I shall offer you one of those alternative ways… and the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of something special… read on, but only if this is the type of opportunity you would really like to grasp.

The general consensus it seems, is Facebook adverts don’t work; unless you are willing to give all your hard-earned cash to Mark Suckonaburger (to gain a small exposure to a limited number of people for a minimum amount of time and still have no guarantee anybody, outside of your regular social network, will actually see this paid for promotion.)

The same goes for the confusion which is Goodreads and the plethora of similar book/author/reader platforms such as (in my opinion) the expensive Library Thing. Authors Den tries hard but is much the same and just as confusing as Goodreads.

Of course, you can pay for people to ‘give away’ your books, there are plenty who are willing to freely distribute all those months of your hard work, not to mention the money you have invested for… well, more of your money.

They will use the old adage, the saying that a short-term investment (read loss) is a way of gaining new readers. You know the type who will take your free offer, one of those folks who ONLY read free books “because there are thousands of free books ‘out there’, so why do I need to pay for any?” type of folk.

Why then, should they suddenly have a change of heart and convert to actually paying to read someone’s creation because they see your book going for free?

It is NOT going to happen.

Books are perceived to be devalued when they are offered free.

If you ever do find a grand number of these folk, enough to create an income large enough to sustain an author’s life, please let me know, because no one else has achieved that, so you would be making groundbreaking world history.

Please do not get me wrong, I am not against people paying for marketing or promoting books. All I ask is you consider exactly what they can/are doing for you and what realistically you can expect as a return on your investment.

Try calculating the cost/return usingthis thought process:

Equate the cost/fee the person/company is asking, as a royalty return per-book. (after tax).

Calculate how many book sales that figure equals.

Note how long you have to achieve your target.

This will tell you how many paid for books you MUST sell to replace that spend. (Your break-even point for this promotion.) and how long you have to accomplish this.

Remember, this calculation does not take into account the amount of money you have already spent on getting the book published in the first place, such as cover design, formatting, editing, maybe printing costs and so on.

If you are looking for a return, or to achieve an income from your promotion and marketing, doing this simple calculation is a good way to judge the portent of such an investment.

You do the math.

You decide if its genuine value for money.

Now… to Electric Eclectic. (EE for short)

Because I often approaching marketing from a slightly different angle, some can find my concepts a little confusing or difficult to comprehend at first, even though I try to keep things a simple as possible.

What gives me the right to write this… and who am I anyway?

I spent several years working in marketing, primarily with the larger advertising agencies such as John Walter Thompson, BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi and so on. It was back when computer manufacturers had names like Sinclair, Dragon and Amstrad. Google was something to do with cricket, Windows were for looking through and cleaning, telephones had curly wires attaching them to the wall and programming used a language called Basic.

Dragon Computers (32 & 64 bit)

I now employ many of the principles learnt during my time in London, albeit updated and developed to work on social media, in the marketing of my own books. Doing so has served me well; I am a recipient of several literary awards and I am credited as an Amazon Bestselling Author.

Continuing with the development of my online marketing techniques, I have created a way for authors to earn royalties from their advertising while promoting their books.

I have branded this as Electric Eclectic.

You see, I know most, if not all writers have many short stories, part stories, old stories lingering in rarely accessed files. These stories are the ones they have not finished yet or are keeping to work on at a later date, (a date which never comes), or once used in a charitable anthology years ago. Some are little more than rough notes waiting to be developed, others unused cuts and edits from a previous novel.

No matter which or why they are there, most if not all writers have unused ‘stuff’ lingering around.

I have an idea how you can Moneytise these loitering tales.

At the same time authors are spending even more money, time and effort discounting and giving books away, ones they have worked so hard and so long writing. They are doing so in the rather vague hope of hooking the odd appreciative reader.

This is to me, like throwing the proverbial ‘shush’ at the fan. Sometimes called the shotgun or scattergun approach. Using a big unfocused blast in the hope we hit something.

More often than not, all that happens is we suffer splashback.

You must admit, it all looks and sounds a bit amateurish and silly when considered from this perspective.

So… what have I devised which makes any difference?

The answer is Electric Eclectic books.

It works like this; You (the author) digs out one of those old stories, one of your half-written, lingering, lost works, or you could write a new piece for Electric Eclectic books. It’s up to you.

The story is edited and formatted using EE guidelines, a cover produced under the same EE format, (working within the EE guidelines is of paramount importance) This results in the creation of an eBook between 6K and 20K words.

In other words, a Novelette.

By creating this book or books, (there are no limits to the number of EE books any author can produce, although two to three would be a good starting number.) using the Electric Eclectic branding, the book becomes an EE book.

The author pays a small, once only/lifetime fee, to licence the use of the EE brand for their book. (It is a franchise licenceif you wish.)

The EE licence applies and is associated with the books ASIN. Therefore, each book requires its own EE licence.

(Sorry, but certain parts of the EE formatting and branding system can only be revealed to authors after the licence fee is paid. They will not be revealed here.)

The Author publishes their own book, under their own name on Kindle and any/all other sites they wish.

ALL rights remain with the author.

The author keeps all royalties.

As an EE author, you now benefit from the Electric Eclectic branding.

This means sharing in the exposure of all EE book promotions and marketing; the general ongoing brand marketing, the general promotions, even each individual title and author promotions helps the brands overall publicity. Not forgetting inclusion in online magazines and recommended book listings and the EE search page on Amazon.

The final part of the jigsaw is… when readers purchase an EE book, not only does the author receive the sales royalty (rather than paying to give their book away), but the readers are shown and directed towards the author’s other books and works directly by hyperlink.

To conclude; by using unused stories, re-published works etc. Electric Eclectic branding allows authors to earn from their stories which were previously just collecting dust. EE books link readers directly to your other books, greatly increasing potential sales of your prime works.

Increasing income, having a greater chance of sales and gaining new readers, saving money on marketing and reducing costs by not discounting or giving away your major books, makes publishing an Electric Eclectic book a win-win situation for all authors.

Electric Eclectic is a marketing brand designed for the promotion of indie-authored books.

Electric Eclectic is NOT a publisher.

Electric Eclectic do NOT take any royalties.

Authors are not contracted, leaving them unrestricted regarding other publishing options.

I am always busy, it keeps me from hanging about on those street corners. But these past weeks I have been busier than most.

Let me give you a clue….

Over the last two weeks, I wrote approximately 630,000 words, 350,000 last week and 280,000 the week before.

I have promoted the November edition of CQI magazine, the Sci-Fi season special. Click on the cover image to read.

I am in the midst of compiling two annual catalogues for CQI, ‘The Collection – a guide to year-round giving’ and ‘The LIST 2018′ a catalogue of commended and acclaimed books.

During which time, I have beavered away at marketing to keep my two latest books high on the Amazon sales lists. Successfully.

I finalised and formatted a further two books, including designing the covers. They are:

Dark Words – dark tales & darker poetry is scheduled for release on the 1st of February 2018.

Within the Invisible Pentacle, a collection of intriguing feminine titles is due out on the 1st of June 2018.

That done, I can concentrate my efforts on completing two other WiP:

Floyd a Novel about an escaped psychopath on a bloody rampage of revenge and…

On the Highway of Irreverent Rumination & Delusion, which is a rendering of my past blog of the same name, about musings of life, living and our society, with many additional perceptions, formed into a book.

Included in this time, right up until yesterday morning, I have published three new eBooks, Kindle ‘novelettes‘ under the collective brand of Electric Eclectic.

Electric Eclectic books are absolutely fantastic, they enable readers to ‘taste‘ a previously unread or unknown author at the extremely low price of just 1.00 (Dollar/Pound/Euro). HOWEVER… unlike many low-cost books all EE novelettes are vetted to ensure they meet exacting standards, so readers can buy Electric Eclectic branded books with confidence.

EE is a Franchise, where the individual authors benefit from the marketing and promotion of being associated with the prime EE brand itself. Enquiries about becoming an EE author to EEbookbranding@mail.com

My current EE novelettes are:

North to Maynard, a tale of Gremlins in our modern world of high tech.

Three Floors Up, where a psychotic man watches those below until…?

Mechanical Mike, a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi robot story, set in Paris during WW2.

Oh, I have also helped a fellow author to create a fully illustrated children’s book, written by an eight-year-old girl. A project not without its problems, but one where I have enjoyed overcoming the challenges.

I took three days out to travel to Belguim during this time period too.

Twitter can be an amazing tool to brand yourself as author, connect with your readers and fellow authors, if used correctly.

Here are some tips I have scrounged from trawling, (not trolling!), the net.

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Be Yourself, Not Your Book

Present yourself as person and not as your book. It might seem a great idea to take the book title as a Twitter name – but what are going to do when writing your second book. You would need to open a second account for this book, the third book, etc.

Followers are also more likely talking to a person than a book.

Choose your Author-Name as Twitter-handle

To brand yourself as author choose your author-name as Twitter handle. If it is not available anymore extend it with ‘Author’, ‘Writer’ or an underscore ‘First_Last’.

Provide a Bio, a Photo and the ‘URL’ to your own Website/blog.

Take your time to draft a good sentence for your Bio. Nothing too crazy or too fancy – just a great line so followers have an idea who you are and what you write.

A photo is a must, but if you like to keep your anonymity you can use a cartoon-ish picture or a manipulated picture of yourself.

Do not use your book as profile picture. (Followers get the impression that you ‘only’ want to sell your book).

The URL could be to your blog, your Facebook page, or other social media sites where followers can learn more about you.

Do not use your book link at Amazon. (Same reason as with the picture – new followers won’t buy your book anyway. They might do later when knowing more about you.)

Tweet-Out some Tweets before start following others

Post your first tweets even if you have no followers. Your new followers will read them soon.

Start following your first Tweeps (Twitter Users). Follow only Tweeps you are interested in. They might be fellow authors, readers, book bloggers, book sites, news sites, people with the same hobbies you share, etc. Follow Tweeps who are posting (by your definition) interesting tweets or have an interesting Bio or are people you know.

Do not follow everybody you see on Twitter

At first, you are limited to 2,000 people to follow. So, choose your Tweeps as described before. Once you have 2,000 followers yourself you can follow more Tweeps.

It’s all about Quality

If one of your goals is to brand yourself as author and build your own Twitter community where you discuss topics you’re interested in – the more it is important to have quality followers.

Not just thousands of followers who give you every morning a quote of the day, do the ‘follow you, follow me game’, or are just tweeting out their links to their eBay, Amazon, or other e-commerce sites.

It sounds great to have 100,000 followers but these before mentioned users will never communicate with you or have even a look at your tweets.

Followers are quickly annoyed and will call this ‘shameless’ self-promotion. You might think the same when reading only these kinds of tweets from people you are following and might decide to not follow these Tweeps anymore.

Make yourself ‘Author interesting’

Tweet about your writing and the progress of your new book project. Having received an amazing review, award, etc. Share the publishing process, provide tips for others. Share sale success etc.

The @ sign is used to call out usernames in Tweets, like this: Hello @Twitter! When a username is preceded by the @ sign, it becomes a link to a Twitter profile.

Bio

A short personal description of 160 characters or fewer used to define who you are on Twitter.

Connect

The Connect tab lets you view interactions, mentions, recent follows and Retweets. Using the Connect tab you’re able to view who has favorited or retweeted your Tweets, who has recently followed you, and all of your @replies and @mentions.

DM = Direct Message

Also called a DM and most recently called simply a “message,” these Tweets are private between the sender and recipient. Tweets sent over SMS become DMs when they begin with “d username” to specify who the message is for.

FF

#FF stands for “Follow Friday.” Twitter users often suggest who others should follow on Fridays by tweeting with the hashtag #FF.

Follower

A follower is another Twitter user who has followed you.

Following

Your following number reflects the quantity of other Twitter users you have chosen to follow on the site.